Jets’ Sal Alosi Escapes Tort Claim, Not Punishment

The most memorable play of the New York Jets’ 10-6 loss to the Miami Dolphins came from the sidelines, not the playing field. During a punt, Jets’ strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi tripped the Dolphins’ gunner Nolan Carroll, who had been blocked to the sideline. While not the modern-day equivalent of Woody Hayes’ punch of an opposing player, it was a distasteful incident in an ugly game.

The play also had a sports law component. Typically, on field injuries that occur in normal game conditions do not give rise to tort claims. Players accept the risks inherent to the particular sport. Alosi’s act, however, was clearly beyond the rules and accepted customs of the game. It was the type of cheap shot that has given rise to tort claims in NFL (in the case of Hackbart v. Cincinnati Bengalsas cited by Sports Law Blog’s Michael McCann) as well as other professional sports.